You can bring a smile to the face of any wine enthusiast with a gift of a good wine, and there are excellent choices for every budget.

WINES THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK
If you need to watch your pennies this year, you don’t need to sacrifice taste. Here are some high-scoring wines sure to satisfy.

Red
Counoise Writer’s Block Lake County 2009, $16
Cabernet Sauvignon Villa San-Juliette Vineyards Paso Robles 2009, $17
Cabernet Sauvignon Motos Liberty California 2008, $11
Syrah Twilight Ridge Suisun Valley 2006, $16
Syrah Shooting Star Lake County 2008, $12
Zinfandel “Old Vine” Sunset Cellars Wirth Ranch Solano County Green Valley 2006, $18

White
Chardonnay “Reserve” Carmenet Winery California 2009, $12
Chardonnay Fat Cat Cellars California 2009, $10
Chenin Blanc Ballentine Vineyards Pocai Vineyard Napa Valley 2010, $16
Pinot Grigio “Reserve” Carmenet Winery California 2009, $12
Sauvignon Blanc Six Sigma Winery Lake County 2009, $16
Sauvignon Blanc Targovishte Winery Bulgaria 2009, $9
Sauvignon Blanc Bogle Vineyards California 2010, $9

Dessert
Port “Four Grapes” Pedroncelli Winery Dry Creek Valley 2005, $18


FOR THOSE WITH BIGGER BUDGETS
If your wallet is in good shape in spite of the holidays, then these are some super gifts.

Red
Barbera Sunset Cellars Twin Creek Vineyards Napa Valley 2005, $22
Cabernet Sauvignon Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley 2008, $28
Cabernet Sauvignon Joseph Phelps Vineyards Napa Valley 2008, $56
Merlot Goodwin Family Vineyards Sonoma Valley 2005, $35
Pinot Noir Steele Wines Goodchild Vineyard Santa Barbara County 2008, $28

White
Chardonnay Hahn “SLH Estate” San-ta Lucia Highlands 2009, $25
Chardonnay Hand- ley Cellars Dry Creek Valley 2007, $20
Sauvignon Blanc Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley 2009, $24
Sauvignon Blanc Joseph Phelps Vineyards Napa Valley 2009, $32

Dessert
Scheurebe “Eisrébe” Joseph Phelps Vineyards Napa Valley 2009, $50 (375 ml)

AND A FINAL WINE SMILE
Northside San Francisco reader Dr. L. Kaminsky asks us to repeat an earlier smile about wine and the medical profession: Only recently did our medical profession come to recognize the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. The Germans knew this long before, as indicated by their early adage: “There are many more old wine drinkers than there are old doctors.”

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Credits: Edgar Vogt (tastings); Ophie Mercado (statistics)